The hugely popular Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament will have a brand new look in 2015 with a newly formed St. Kitts and Nevis franchise.
The franchise, which is still to be named, replaces the Antigua Hawksbills, who were the weakest team in last year’s version.
The St. Kitts and Nevis team will take over responsibility for the players from the Leeward Islands and have been permitted to retain any player who played for the Antigua Hawksbills during the 2014 season.
The St. Kitts and Nevis franchise will become the seventh franchise holder, joining Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Lucia.
“We have had a wonderful relationship with the government since we first started planning for CPL games in 2014 and we are now able to bring a team to St. Kitts and Nevis,” said CPL chief executive officer Pete Russell.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the country as fans get the opportunity to support their own team. We all look forward to the unrivalled passion that will again be evident at the Warner Park Stadium.”
Defending champions Barbados are expected to have a similar look, having retained Kieron Pollard, Shoaib Malik, Dwayne Smith and Ravi Rampaul.
But Rayad Emrit, who captained the side in the absence of Pollard in the Champions League in India, has not been retained, even though he could be drafted early.